The Quilt of Belonging: The Invitation Project

While The Quilt of Belonging
isn’t exactly a Christmas offering, this seems like a good time of year to
be looking at such a rich volume. It contains a selection of quilt squares
from what must be just about every ethnic and cultural group represented in
Canada. The mind boggles at the coordination needed to assemble work from
192 immigrant nationalities and 71 aboriginal groups.

Each page shows one of the squares,
along with an essay explaining the themes it illustrates and some information
about the square’s creator.

The actual quilt which was assembled
for this project contains 263 squares and is “120 feet long and 10 feet high”
according to the press package that accompanied the book.

Book editor Esther Bryan writes: “Our
vision was to create a collaborative work that will recognize Canada’s and
the world’s diversity, celebrate our common humanity, and promote harmony
and compassion among people.”

The final product has been on tour
since last April and will begin a Northern Tour in January, with stops in
Yellowknife and Whitehorse before it moves on at the end of March.